New Regional Directors Announcement July 2010

FIRST News Release

FIRST® Appoints New Regional Directors in Four States

MANCHESTER, N.H., July 13, 2010 - FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, today announced the appointment of four new Regional Directors (RDs) in Maryland, New York, Tennessee and Texas.

"All of our new Regional and Assistant Regional Directors have extensive FIRST experience, and they all share our fundamental goal of promoting innovation among young people in their communities," said Roseann Stevens, Vice President of Field Operations, FIRST, adding, "Regional Directors are individuals who evangelize the ‘STEM’ aspects of after-school robotics and who keep the lines of communication open to parents, schools, mentors, the business community and young people in their communities. They see to it that rookie and veteran FIRST robotics teams alike are energized by their FIRST experience."

The role of an ‘RD’ includes coordinating FIRST activities, as well as developing new regional partnerships and volunteer mentors - with the goal of creating and maintaining robust, volunteer-driven, and self-sustaining programs in each region. FIRST holds local and regional robotics competitions, including the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®), the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®), the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®), and the Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLLT).

- William Duncan, Assistant Regional Director, Maryland - Duncan held the position of AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) for FIRST in Maryland where he was the primary representative for all FIRST programs K-12 in the state. He has a strong marketing and communications background with extensive experience in consulting and contracting.

- Patricia Daly, Regional Director, New York - Daly is an experienced senior business and technology manager with extensive leadership and a strategic planning focus in both mid size and large global firms. She has also been involved with FIRST for several years as an FRC team mentor, FLL Judge, and Co-Chair of the FRC Planning Committee.

- L.J. Robinson, Regional Director, Tennessee - Robinson was the Executive Vice President and Practice Administrator of Neurological & Spine Surgery of Tennessee, an occupational management and development company in Knoxville. Her experience includes nursing and real estate management and development. She was a FIRST Mentor and volunteer in Tennessee for several years.

- Patrick Felty, Regional Director, San Antonio, Texas - Felty was the Owner and Chief Operations Officer of Fintan Technologies, an outsourced technology firm located in San Antonio. He has extensive experience in team leadership, project management, technical support, and sales and auditing. Patrick is a FIRST volunteer and supporter.

About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $12 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLLT) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious ProfessionalismT is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

FIRST®, FIRST® Robotics Competition, FRC®, FIRST® Tech Challenge, and FTC® are registered trademarks of the United States Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST®). LEGO® is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group. FIRST® LEGO® League, Junior FIRST® LEGO® League, FLL®, and Jr.FLLT are jointly held trademarks of FIRST and The LEGO Group.